Power-operated tractor lifting device



May 16, 1950 A. HARDY ET AL POWER-OPERATED TRACTOR LIFTING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed May 25, 1945 May 16, 1950 L. A. HARDY ET AL 2,508,345

POWER-OPERATED TRACTOR LIFTING DEVICE Original Filed May 25, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 M y 6, 1950 L. A. HARDY ETAL 2,508,345

POWER-OPERATED TRACTOR LIFTING DEVICE Original Filed May 25, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 y 6, 1950 1... A. HARDY ET AL 2,508,345

POWER-OPERATED TRACTOR LIFTING DEVICE Original Filed May 25, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I43 iz/2%} Patented May 16, 1950 POWER-OPERATED TRACTOR LIFTING DEVICE Lloyd A. Hardy, Cambridge, and Arthur H. Keller and John L. Aasland, Moline, 'Ill., 'assignors 'to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New 'Jersey Ori nal application May 25 19,45, Serial No. "595,788,. Divided and this application September '16, 1948, Serial No. 49,554

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a new and improved tractor mounted agricultural implement and is a division -of our parent application having Serial *Number595fl88 and *filed May 25, 1945,

More par-ticularly this invention relates to the power lifting of implements to a mounted, operating position on a tractor.

important ob-jectof this invention is to prov-ide aouickl y attachable and detachable harvesting unit for a tractor.

Am Jther important object of this invention 'is the provision of ower 'l ift means for raising a picker'harvester from an inoperative position on the ground to a raised operative position on the tractor. a

Heretofore, corn harvesters have been cumbersome machines which required considerable time attaching to a tractor The ordinary farmer has butone tractor, and this tractor must be used toopera'te'a number-of farm implements and machines, and hence it is imperative that the larger farm machinesbe readily removable or attachable to the tractor. Further, in times of laborshortage, such as exist at the present time, the farmer does not have available the man-power necessary to mount an enormous corn picker onto a tractor. It is, therefore, an object of the present device to-provide a tractor with suitable mounting attachments to cooperate with mounting attachments onia corn pickinguni'tso that one man alone or at the most two men can mount the large corn picking unit to a fixed operating position on the tractor without the expenditure of great effort.

,A further important object of this invention is tractor {and to permit pivotal adjustment of the picking u-nitwith :re'specttp the tractor by means of a power-operating tractor-lifting device.

A still further obj'ectof the present invention is to provide a two-row corn picking unit capable of standing in upright position and whereby a tractoi'of the tricycle type having a narrow 1ongitudinalhody pontion and wide spread rear trac tlonndiels may be drivenforwardly betweenzsa-id lilcki rllgnnits and having cooperati e means associated-with pboth thetractor and the corn picking' units to effectaaraising-of the picker with respect to the tractor and a locking of the same vin operative position thereon.

:Otherand further "important objects of this inwention w-ill become apparent *from'the disclosures in the following specification and accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure :1 is a side elevational view of a tractor-r "56 mounted corn harvester showing the corn picking units of this invention attached to the tractor;

Figure 2 is a perspective view in larger scale than that of Fig. 1 of the pair of corn picking and gathering units shown :in dismounted position from the tractor and'viewed from a positionrearwardly of the device;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the tractor, with one wheel removed, to which the-corn picking units are attached and shown on a scale substantially the same as that of 'Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the tractormou-nted cornpicker of this invention viewed substantially from the front and on a scale larger than that of Figure l but smaller than that of 'Figures 2 and '3';

Figure 5 is a plan view detail of the tractor power lifting mechanism of this invention shown on a scale somewhat larger than that of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is an end view detail of a portion of the device as shown in Figure '5 and shown on a'larger scale than that of Figured:

Figure? is a side view detail of a leg locking mechanism of the corn picker as shown in Figure 2 and in slightly larger scale; and

Figure '8 is an end view of the leg locking mechanism as shown in Figure '7.

As shown in the drawings, the reference numeral H] indicates generally a farm tractor having a longitudinally extending narrow body portion H having a front rolling support having dirigible wheels l2 positioned centrally of said longitudinal body portion 11. The rear end of the narrow body portion is provided with outwardly 0 provide a q k tta 1 chm picker on a .1 extending transverse axles 13 around which are mounted axle housings 14. At the outer ends of the axles l3, and spaced from the narrow body portion H, are attached large traction wheels l5. The tractor is adapted to have normal forward operation with the .dirigible wheels at the front and the tractor wheels at-the rear.

Vertically positioned angle bars 15 are secured with one face Ifia abutting the rear of each axle housing M. A U-shaped draw-bar 11, having a transverserear-portion 18 positioned rearwardly of the tractor and leg members 19 and 20 extending forwardly toward the tractor, is attached to the lower ends of the angle bars It by means of the small angles 2| which are bolted to both the draw-bar lland'the-vertically positioned angle -bars H5. Supporting members in the form of angle bars 22 and 23 are rigidly secured to the draw-bar legs I9 and 20, respectively and extend rearwardly beyond the transverse portion l8 of the draw-bar 11. Vertical supporting members 24 and 25 extend upwardly from the supporting members 22 and 23, respectively, and with the aid of brace members 26 and 21 the upper ends of these vertical support members 24 and 25 each carry alined but spaced apart transverse horizontal pipe sections 28 and 29. These pipe sections 28 and 29 extend laterally outwardly from the upper end of each vertical support 24 and 25, respectively, and are rigidly connected to their respective supports. Connecting rods I50 and Iiil having turnbuckles I52 and I53 respectively join the members 24 and 25 to the vertical members I6, and a second pair of connecting rods I54 and I55 also equipped with turnbuckles I55 and I! extend between the vertical members I6 and the rearwardly extending members 22 and 23. These rods which may be tightened or loosened as desired act to make the mounting structure relatively rigid.

As best shown in Figure l, a transversely positioned angle bar bracket 20 is secured by cap screws SI to each of said axle housings I4. Vertical bracket members 32 extend upwardly from the transverse angle brackets 30 and are adapted to support the forward ends of a pair of track structures 33 and 34. Each track structure 33 and 34 is secured to the upper end of the vertical support members 32 at 35 and extends from a point forwardly of the rear tractor axle housings I4 rearwardly over and beyond the axle housings. Reinforcing members I58 and I 59 extend beneath and in a horizontal position between the ends of the track and aid in the rigid support of the tracks. The track structures 33 and 34 have a high point at 35 and 31, respectively, which is positioned slightly to the rear of the axle housings, and thereupon the track structures depend downwardly and rearwardly to their rear end connections to the brackets 58 and 5| which are in turn connected to the pipes 28 and 29, respectively. These track structures have a relatively wide forward portion at 38 and 39 and decrease in width as they extend rearwardly. The tracks 33 and 34 are equipped with upwardly extending side flanges 41!, 4| and 42, 43. The central portion of the track structures 33 and 34 is'equipped with central ridges 44 and 45. The side flanges and the ridges act to strengthen the track structures and to further act as positive guide means for cooperative roller members 48 and 4! which form a part of the corn gathering and picking units 43 and 49. Upwardly extending bracket members 5 and 5! from the pipe sections 28 and 29 are equipped with forwardly projecting openfaced sockets 52 and 53. respectively. These upwardly extending brackets 50 and El are rigidly secured to the pipe members 28 and 29 at 54 and 55. Additional socket structures 56 and 51 are mounted on the transverse pipe sections 28 and 29 spaced laterally outwardly from the sockets 52 and 53. These last-named socket structures are formed with upwardly extending laterally spaced plate members 53, 59 and 60, 6|. Each of these socket structures has a spacer 62 and 63, repectively, positioned at a point spaced upwardly from the pipe sections 28 and 29 and having upwardly opening notches 64 and 65. Each pair of plates 58, 59 and iii], GI are cut with forwardly opening sockets 66, 57, 58, and 69 which are in alinement with the forwardly opening sockets 52 and 53 positioned at the rear end of the track structures 23 and 34.

The forward part of the tractor body II is equipped with downwardly and rearwardly extending brackets TB on each side thereof. One of the brackets If! is shown in detail in Figure 6 and the entire height adjusting mechanism is shown in Figure 5. The lower ends of these brackets have transversely alined openings II through which a tubular pipe member 72 is journally rotatable. Washer members 53 are fitted over the ends of the pipe member 2, and cotter pins 54 extending through the pipe 12 are adapted to hold the washer is in position against the brackets f? and prevent endwise movement of the pipe 72. A pair of transversely spaced lifting arms '55 are rigidly connected to the pipe 72 between the depending brackets iii. These lifting arms '15 extend rearwardly and slightly downwardly prior to the corn picker being mounted on the tractor. Adjacent each lifting arm l5 and positioned at substantially right angles thereto are the spaced apart upwardly and rearwardly extending lever arms 15 rigidly connected to the pipe i2. A yoke member TI, having forwardly extending arms it pivotally attached to the upper ends of the spaced lever arms it, is adapted to be reciprocated by the piston 79 of an hydraulic cylinder 88 pivotally attached to the bracket 3! in a substantially central location on the under side of the tractor chassis II. The piston I9 is rigidly connected to the central portion of the yoke member T! at 232. The hydraulic cylinder 23!] is actuated by fluid under pressure from the tractor it? through the flexibl pipe or hose member 53. A valve 84 is shown in position in the conduit 53 between the tractor fluid supply and the hydraulic cylinder 86. This valve 84 is equipped with an end lever 85 which upon opening will effect an extension of the piston l9 and a, corresponding rearward swinging of the lever arms 36 through the action of the yoke arms 13. Inasmuch as both the lever arms 16 and the lifting arms i5 are rigidly attached to the pipe 12, the lifting arms l5 will swing in an arcuate raising movement about the pipe If! as an axis.

The corn picking units, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, are equipped with cooperative elements for ready attachment to the tractor-attaching elements heretofore described. The corn picking units comprise a pair of frame structures. previously designated as 48 and 49, which extend forwardly and downwardly to form gathering points 82 and 81, respectively. Positioned centrally between the picking units is a center divider or stalk pick-up means I43 which is journaled on the tractor wheels I2. The corn pickring frame structures have horizontally rearwardly extending portions 88 and 89 from a position at the upper end of the first-named downwardly and forwardly extending portions. Each of the gathering points 86 and 81 is equipped with a stalk-cutting mechanism in the form of a reciprocating cutter bar I38. These gathering points 86 and 8'! further include stalk conveying chains !39 and longitudinal conveyers I40 for moving the stalks rearwardly into transversely extending snapping rolls l4! and I42 shown in Figure l. The rear ends of the gathering units 48 and 4%. namely, 88 and 89, house stalk shredding means 553 and 9 I The driving means for the elements not shown and the stalk shredding means 9t and 2| are taken from the power takeoff 92 of the tractor shown in Figure 3. The driving connection between this power take-o1? shaft 92 between the tractor I9 and the elements of the gathering units is not shown inasmuch as it does not form a part of this invention.

The front support and mounting structure for the gathering units 48 and 49 includes a transverse pipe flt extending across both units beneath the forward gathering points so and 81-. This transverse pipe 93' a'ots'to tie the gathering units together and .yet ermits passage of the-tractor affixed to the under side of the gathering .point are adapted to complete the journaling supp t or the shaft at. These bearing brackets are shiftablo along the length of the pipe 93 to accommodate various spaced corn rows.

The pipe member 93 does not run axially across between the gathering points t6 and 8? but is rather offset by a pair of crank arms 98 and til and a transverse pipe member Ills extending between the cranlrarms 9'8 and as. Locking arms island I92 are rigidly connected by welding, or the like, to

the outer ends of the transverse pipe member 93.

Each of these arms IilI and I92 has a hole I93 shown in detail in Figure '7. A manually swingable locking arm m5 is flexibly mounted by means of the spring Hi4 shown in Fig re 8 to the gathering unit M3 at a pair of in wardly projecting pins It! and it? either of would be positioned between the gathering units 43 and t!) in the manner such as shown in Fig ure 1 of the drawings.

During the mounting operation. it has been found desirable to supply additional grourzui-engaging elements, for the gathering points it and 3'? in order to more adequately stabilize the pick" ing units. Therefore, supporting legs I68 and having rough ad feet portions it'll ii, respectively, are axially slid'able inwardly along the length of the pipe members-"5 against the action of springs hit and It? and are then rotatable on the pipe. Each of the upper sleeve-like ends II2 and I I3 of the leg members Iiiil and. Its, respectively, is equipped with U-shaped bracket members lit and H5 fixed at some predetermined spaced apart angle. These re ractible legs Ida and IE9, as shown in Figure are in ground engaging position, and the U-shaped bracket II5 which forms a unitary part thereof engages a tongue lihe extension IIii which is rigidly attached to the under side of the gathering units t3 and 49 at I I1. When it is desired to raise these legs out of ground-engaging position, the legs Ida and Iilil are slid axially along the pipe 93 against the action of the springs and I l? and rotated so that the U-shaped bracket I It is in alinement with the tongue portion lid on the under side of the gathering units, and then a reverse axial sliding of the legs H t or I883 caused by the force of the springs It'i and It! will cause an engagement of the tongue I It with the U-shaped bracket Ht and thereupon the legs Itii and its will be held upwardly from a position with respect to the ground. These legs are used to hold the picking unit stationary during mounting and dismounting on the tractor.

fter the tractor has been riven into position between the gathering units it and as, the lock; arm lot: has its projection I01 removed from the hole I93 in the locking plate ItI, after which the ure 1.

6 pipes t may be rotated'in :a clockwise "direction indicated by'the arrow mtgasfshown in Figure 7., until time as thepin Iiil comes into alinement w'lththeihole I23, whereupon the arm 'Iilli forced inwardly by the'spring ittso that the pin projection I94 maintains the locking plate it! nonrotatable. These last named positions are shown in dashed lines in Figure 7. In this position of the pipe 93, the offset portion Hit extends upwardly and slightly forwardly, as shown i Fig ure 1, and is adapted'to lie-on the lifting arms "55 which are directly associated with the hydraulically operated pist'onand cylinder l9 and all, re spectively; At this point of the mounting prooedu're, it is desirable that the supporting Iilt and it be shifted axially of their ce shafts and locked in their uppermost pos t by means of the tongues II ii engaging the u shaped brackets I'M.

When the gathering units t3 and '49 are dismounted from-the tractor, they are supported in upright position by the forwardly positioned supporting legs ita and W9 and ground engaging rear supports H8 and M9 for each of the units t8 and :19, respectively. Each of these rear supports includes transversely spaced legs I26, I2I, and 522, I 23 which are pivotally connected in pairs to the underside of the horizontal portions 83 and 89 of the gathering units 18 and 49' on shafts iZt and IE2? Springs I 25 and i25 are adapted to urge the ground'engaging supports Iiii' and lit rearwardly. Telescopic stop members its and i2! are positioned between the legs I29 and I23 and the underside of the gathering units and '49, respectiyely. These grounde'ngaging supports lit and H9 have their dual legs ilii' and S22, I23 joined by transverse feet members I28 and i291, respectively. The attachment of the telescopic units lit and I2! at ilaband I3-i to the under side of the gathering units as and t9 are at points rearwardly of the pivotal attachment of the leg member I20; I2l, W2, and When the gathering units as and it are being mountedon the tractor it, the rear support members [is and IE9 are automatically swung forwardly about their pivotal connections on the under side of the horizontal portions 68 and 89 of the gathering units 48 and #9 by the tractor axle I3 and axle housing It. During this operation the telescopic members I24 and I26 are fully extended. In this position of the rear legs, the front positioned legs Hi8 and H39 are adapted to support the transversely extending feet E28 and I29 of the rear legs as shown in Fig- In order that the rear supporting leg members H8 and H9 may be swung forwardly, the action of the springs I25 and I25 must be overcome and the telescopic stop members I25 and I2! are readily extensible. The function of these telescopic stop members is to prevent the springs I24 and I25 from pulling the rear supports H8 and IE9 upwardly to the rear and out of ground-engaging position. As shown in Figure 2, the telescopic stop members I26 and I2! act as rigid links and firmly support the members I I8 and 1 I9 in their downwardly and rearwardly inclined positions.

During removal of the tractor from the corn picking units, the front legs I08 and IE9 are 'H dropped to ground-engaging position such as shown in Figure 2. It is apparent that the rear legs will drop and will be pulled rearwardly by the springs I24 and 25. The legs H8 and H9 will then rest against the rear axle housing I4 of the tractor. As the tractor is backed out of position with respect to the corn picker the rear legs will swing back as the removal of the axle housing I4 permits. The rear limiting position of the legs will, of course, be reached when the telescopic units I26 and I2! have reached their collapsed position. At this time, the picker is capable of standing on its own legs.

The rear mounting structure includes transversely spaced pairs of brackets I32 and I33 depending from a forward part of the horizontal portions 88 and 89 of the gathering units. The pairs of brackets I32 and I 33 each support grooved rollers 46 and 41, respectively. These grooved rollers are adapted to engage or slide upon the track members 33 and 34 positioned upon the tractor Ill. The side flanges 40, M and 42, 43 and the ridge centers 44 and 45 maintain these rollers 46 and 4'! in a central position on the tracks 33 and 34. The forwardly opening sockets 52 and 53 are adapted to receive the central grooves I34 and I35 of the rollers 46 and 47. The forward portions 38 and 39 of the tracks 33 and 34 are somewhat lower than the rear portions, and hence when the tractor is driven into the standing gath ering units, as shown in Figure 2, the rollers 46 and 41 ride upwardly on the tracks 33 and 34 and thereupon the gathering units are lifted onto the tractor. Additional pairs of brackets I36 and I3! are spaced outwardly but in axial alinement with the brackets I32 and I33. Each of these outwardly spaced pairs of brackets support T-bolts I46 and I49 having their head portions pivoted between these depending brackets I36 and I3! which are adapted to fit into the forwardly opening sockets 66, 61, and 68, 69. When the rollers 46 and 41 are within the sockets 52 and 53 and the T-bolt heads are within the outer sockets, the T-bolts I48 and I49 are swung into the locking notches 64 and 65 provided on the socket structures 56 and 51. It is quite evident that the gathering units 48 and 49 are pivotally mounted as an entire unit in axial alinement with the T- bolt heads I 48 and I49 and the grooved rollers 46 and 41, and hence the lifting of the gathering points 86 and 81 by a raising of the lifting arm 15 by actuation of the hydraulic cylinder 80 will 8 effect a tilting of the gathering units about the axial hinge through the rollers 46 and 41.

It is apparent that herein is provided a novel attachment for a corn picking unit to a tractor which has been shown in a preferred embodiment, and applicant intends that the claims of his invention shall include all similar constructions and modifications coming Within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a tractor having power lift means including a hydraulic cylinder hingedly mounted at the rear and underside of the tractor for vertical swinging movement, a reciprocable piston extending forwardly from said hydraulic cylinder, brackets depending from each side of the tractor intermediate the front and rear thereof, a transverse pipe journaled in said depending brackets, a first pair of crank arms fixed to said pipe and hingedly connected to said piston, a second pair of crank arms fixed to said pipe and disposed at an angle with respect to said first pair of crank arms, a corn picking unit pivotally attached at the rear of said tractor and inclined forwardly and downwardly therefrom, and a transverse member positioned on the forward and underside of said corn picking unit, said transverse member having a bail-like central portion adapted to be engaged by said second pair of crank arms, whereby extension movement of said piston from the hydraulic cylinder causes upward or downward movement of the corn picking unit.

LLOYD A. HARDY. ARTHUR H. KELLER. JOHN L. AASLAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,259,892 Hyman Oct. 21, 1941 2,376,539 Hitchcock et a1 June 10, 1943 2,376,541 Johnson et a1. May 22, 1945 2,401,183 Pool et a1 May 28, 1946 

